EuroMPM 2010 - Specialization on Global Business Projects
I. Introduction II. Course structure III. Learning outcomes IV. Course readings V. Preparatory readings (for the summer break)
I. Introduction This module offers students a systematic approach to the fundamental principles of global project management from theoretical and practical viewpoints. Students will develop a sound understanding of key issues in managing global business projects caused by different dimensions of physical and socio-cultural distance and learn how to shrink distance in order to facilitate effective collaboration and to close projects successfully.
Students will be exposed to state-of-the-art project management concepts and techniques for project planning, steering and controlling. Topics will be explored through a combination of lectures, assigned readings and interactive case studies. An important part of this course consists of a practical global project management assignment. This includes group work based on virtual collaboration software and data room management tools.
Alongside continuous globalization of business, managing global business projects becomes an ever more important skill across all disciplines putting students with excellence in that domain at a competitive advantage. The module trains students’ competences in managing and working on globally distributed project teams consisting of internal and external business partners with a high degree of international division of labour. Students will qualify to meet the challenges in project management induced by current global trends that reshape competitive parameters for business such as distributed business units, outsourcing and partnering. In particular, students will strengthen their ability to deal with complex matters in projects and business activities of widened geographical scope with embedded socio-cultural differences.
II. Course structure 1. Overview of Global Business Project Management a. Characteristics of global business projects b. Challenges of global business project management
2. Initiating & Planning Global Business Projects a. Global business opportunities & threats b. Criteria for selecting a global project c. Global project requirements
3. Implementing Global Business Projects a. Implications of external and internal factors b. Organizational forms of business projects c. Norms and styles of negotiation
4. Steering & Controlling Global Business Projects a. Project management organization b. Global business project controlling c. Complexity factors in controlling global projects d. Governance & compliance
5. Partnering in global projects a. Joint Ventures b. Strategic Alliances c. Network organizations
7. The good, bad and ugly in Global Business Projects a. Classical pitfalls in global project management b. Competencies for managing global business projects
III. Learning outcomes 1. Knowledge - The students can:
explain core issues of global business projects
explain opportunities and threads of global business projects
explain criteria for selecting global business projects
explain requirements for global business projects
explain partnering concepts in global business management
explain competences needed in global business projects
explain the systematic development of a competitive brand strategy and business plan in cross-functional project teams
explain global and local management roles and tasks in brand strategy development and launch activities
2. Skills - The students are able to:
analyse global business projects
determine impacts of globals business projects
analyse partnering in globals business projects
design a limited global business project
set up efficient team organization and processes for global business projects
establish effective business project planning, steering and controlling
utilize a professional project management software, e.g. basecamp®
apply concepts, methods and tools for the development of a competitive brand strategy and launch plan
in a given context in the course.
3. Competence / attitude - They are able to:
analyse global business projects
determine impacts of globals business projects
analyse partnering in globals business projects
design and implement a limited global business project
work on globally distributed project teams with dispersed pieces of information
see possible conflicts of interest arising from socio-cultural distance manage efficiently conflicting interests between stakeholders of the project
communicate effectively in global business projects
in a new context / project.
IV. Course readings
Cleland, D.I. / Gareis, R (2006): Global Project Management Handbook – Planning, organizing and controlling international projects, 2nd edition, McGraw-Hill, New York.
Hofstede, G. (2005): Culture and organizations: Software of the mind, 2nd edition, McGraw-Hill, New York.
Lewis, J. (2002): Cultural Studies: The Basics. London: Sage.
Milosevic, D. Z. (2003): Project Management ToolBox: Tools and Techniques for the Practicing Project Manager, Wiley, New York.
Mintzberg, H. (1992): Structure in Fives: Designing Effective Organizations. Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall.
Orr, R. J. (2005): Unforeseen conditions and costs on global projects: Learning to cope with unfamiliar institutions, embeddedness, and emergent uncertainty, Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calif.
V. Preparatory readings (for the summer break) A preparation by all class participants of the following list of preparatory readings is essential to have fruitful class discussions. Industry analysis:
Porter, M. E. (1996): What is strategy? Harvard Business Review, Vol. 74/6, pp. 61-78.
Besanko et Al. (2007): Economics of strategy. John Wiley & Sons, New York; Chapter 10 – Industry analysis, pp. 312-340.
SWOT analysis:
Weihrich, H. (1982): The TOWS Matrix – a Tool for Situational Analysis, Long Range Planning, Vol. 15/2, pp. 52-64.
Piercy, N. / Giles, W. (1989): Making SWOT Analysis Work Journal of Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 7/ 5-6, pp. 5-7.
Hill, T. / Westbrook, R. (1997): SWOT Analysis: It’s Time for a Product Recall, Long Range Planning, Vol. 30/1, pp. 46-52.
Balanced scorecard:
Kaplan, R. / Norton, D. (1992) : The Balanced Scorecard – Measures that Drive Performance, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 70/1, pp.61-78.
Capability analysis:
Barney, J.B. (1991): Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage. Journal of Management, Vol. 17/1, pp.99–120.
Prahalad, C.K. / Hamel, G. (1990): The Core Competence of the Corporation, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 68/3, pp. 79-91.
In addition, further fundamental reading on strategy analysis is suggested :
Porter, M. E. (1986): Competitive Strategy. New York. Free Press.
Grant, R. M. (1998): Contemporary Strategy Analysis. Blackwell. Massachusetts.
Mintzberg, H. (1998): Strategy Safari. Financial Times Prentice Hall, Hertfordshire.
EuroMPM 2010 - Specialization on Global Business Projects
I. Introduction
II. Course structure
III. Learning outcomes
IV. Course readings
V. Preparatory readings (for the summer break)
I. Introduction
This module offers students a systematic approach to the fundamental principles of global project management from theoretical and practical viewpoints. Students will develop a sound understanding of key issues in managing global business projects caused by different dimensions of physical and socio-cultural distance and learn how to shrink distance in order to facilitate effective collaboration and to close projects successfully.
Students will be exposed to state-of-the-art project management concepts and techniques for project planning, steering and controlling. Topics will be explored through a combination of lectures, assigned readings and interactive case studies. An important part of this course consists of a practical global project management assignment. This includes group work based on virtual collaboration software and data room management tools.
Alongside continuous globalization of business, managing global business projects becomes an ever more important skill across all disciplines putting students with excellence in that domain at a competitive advantage. The module trains students’ competences in managing and working on globally distributed project teams consisting of internal and external business partners with a high degree of international division of labour. Students will qualify to meet the challenges in project management induced by current global trends that reshape competitive parameters for business such as distributed business units, outsourcing and partnering. In particular, students will strengthen their ability to deal with complex matters in projects and business activities of widened geographical scope with embedded socio-cultural differences.
II. Course structure
1. Overview of Global Business Project Management
a. Characteristics of global business projects
b. Challenges of global business project management
2. Initiating & Planning Global Business Projects
a. Global business opportunities & threats
b. Criteria for selecting a global project
c. Global project requirements
3. Implementing Global Business Projects
a. Implications of external and internal factors
b. Organizational forms of business projects
c. Norms and styles of negotiation
4. Steering & Controlling Global Business Projects
a. Project management organization
b. Global business project controlling
c. Complexity factors in controlling global projects
d. Governance & compliance
5. Partnering in global projects
a. Joint Ventures
b. Strategic Alliances
c. Network organizations
6. Practical global project assignment
a. Training with virtual collaboration tool Basecamp©
b. Real-world project management assignment
7. The good, bad and ugly in Global Business Projects
a. Classical pitfalls in global project management
b. Competencies for managing global business projects
III. Learning outcomes
1. Knowledge - The students can:
2. Skills - The students are able to:
- analyse global business projects
- determine impacts of globals business projects
- analyse partnering in globals business projects
- design a limited global business project
- set up efficient team organization and processes for global business projects
- establish effective business project planning, steering and controlling
- utilize a professional project management software, e.g. basecamp®
- apply concepts, methods and tools for the development of a competitive brand strategy and launch plan
in a given context in the course.3. Competence / attitude - They are able to:
- analyse global business projects
- determine impacts of globals business projects
- analyse partnering in globals business projects
- design and implement a limited global business project
- work on globally distributed project teams with dispersed pieces of information
- see possible conflicts of interest arising from socio-cultural distance manage efficiently conflicting interests between stakeholders of the project
- communicate effectively in global business projects
in a new context / project.IV. Course readings
V. Preparatory readings (for the summer break)
A preparation by all class participants of the following list of preparatory readings is essential to have fruitful class discussions.
Industry analysis:
- Porter, M. E. (1996): What is strategy? Harvard Business Review, Vol. 74/6, pp. 61-78.
- Besanko et Al. (2007): Economics of strategy. John Wiley & Sons, New York; Chapter 10 – Industry analysis, pp. 312-340.
SWOT analysis:- Weihrich, H. (1982): The TOWS Matrix – a Tool for Situational Analysis, Long Range Planning, Vol. 15/2, pp. 52-64.
- Piercy, N. / Giles, W. (1989): Making SWOT Analysis Work Journal of Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 7/ 5-6, pp. 5-7.
- Hill, T. / Westbrook, R. (1997): SWOT Analysis: It’s Time for a Product Recall, Long Range Planning, Vol. 30/1, pp. 46-52.
Balanced scorecard:- Kaplan, R. / Norton, D. (1992) : The Balanced Scorecard – Measures that Drive Performance, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 70/1, pp.61-78.
Capability analysis:- Barney, J.B. (1991): Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage. Journal of Management, Vol. 17/1, pp.99–120.
- Prahalad, C.K. / Hamel, G. (1990): The Core Competence of the Corporation, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 68/3, pp. 79-91.
In addition, further fundamental reading on strategy analysis is suggested :